Under the cover of darkness, the youth, Li Wanyu and Li Daoyun rushed towards the Wang Clan’s Estate. The youth carried Qing Cui on his back and Li Wanyu did the same to Qing Yanyan.

“What’s the plan?” Li Wanyu asked as they ran across the alleyways.

“What plan?” The youth didn’t look at her and concentrated on running. “We give the Wang’s the letter I have, leave them there, and come back.”

“Wha- is that it!?”

“Do you have a better plan?” he snapped at her. “I’d very much like to hear it!”

“Uh…no.”

“Is there anyone following us?” he took a deep breath to calm himself and changed the subject.

“No,” she shook her head. “No one can escape my perception!” she looked quite smug when she said that.

“Good job.”

Li Wanyu looked like she had just been praised by her father. However, her cheeks turned red when she came to realize that. Having been embarrassed in such a way, she glared at the youth.

The youth felt her searing glare on him. He looked at her with a puzzled look. What’s wrong with her?

After ten minutes of running, they finally reached the front gate of the Wang Clan. The youth let Qing Cui off his back and took deep breaths as Li Wanyu did the same. He was a little bit out of breath but Li Wanyu still looked fine. When she noticed this, she put a smug smile on her face.

Qing Cui looked at the youth and asked, “Was I too heavy?”

“No, nothing like that!” The youth smiled. “Just enough to make me breathless.”

She started sulking after that. The youth didn’t mind her and went in front of the guards who had been dumbfounded by this whole exchange.

He cupped his fists and said, “Please relay to your Patriarch that the Li Clan’s Second Young Miss and Third Elder have come to visit!”

“R-Right!” one of them hastily replied. “Please come inside and sit.”

“We shall then,” the youth nodded and the group followed the guard inside. They were taken inside the estate and made to sit in the living room. Li Wanyu and Li Daoyun sat on the chairs while the other three stood behind them. It was because, regardless of how he acted, he was still a butler.

After a few minutes of waiting, a man with a fiery red beard and unruly hair walked inside. He looked fearsome like a tiger. So much so, that Qing Cui and her mother couldn’t directly look at him.

“Why are you here?” Wang Lu went straight to the point.

“We just want to foster a solid bond between our clans using our Second Young Miss and the Wang Clan’s Young Master!” Li Wanyu calmly replied.

“Haah!?” he glared at her. “Are you thinking of using your brat as a honeytrap[1]?”

“Not everyone is the Murong Clan,” Li Wanyu smirked.

“Then?”

“Give me the letter,” Li Wanyu instructed the youth. He took an envelope from within his robes and handed it to her who then passed it to Wang Lu. This letter was different from the other one as Li Fen had specifically told him to hand this one to Wang Lu.

Wang Lu read the letter with a calm face but at the end, his eyebrows jumped. “Honestly, this isn’t that big of a deal to be using up that. What’s really going on?” he murmured to himself. Being cultivators, naturally, the youth and Li Wanyu heard it as well but they chose not to say anything about it.

“Fine!” Wang Lu spoke up and kept the letter inside his robes, “We’ll be happy to, as you say ‘foster a solid bond’ among our clans.” That last part was very sarcastic.

“Many thanks!” Li Wanyu cupped her fists.

“So, how many will be staying here?”

“Our Second Young Miss and two maids,” Li Wanyu gestured at them.

“I see…” Wang Lu stroked his chin. He looked at the youth and asked, “So, why’s Li Fen’s butler here?”

“Since Li Fen ensured both the Second Young Miss and the letter in your hands to him. I’m just the escort.”

“So, then why not come in a carriage?”

“I believe it would be best to show the Second Young Miss where she’ll be staying,” the youth smiled underneath the mask he wore whenever he went outside. “It’s been a long journey and she’s feeling quite exhausted now!”

“I am?” Li Daoyun looked at him.

“You are.”

“Hmm…” Wang Lu looked on with interest. He then yelled out, “Show the Li Clan’s Second Young Miss where she’ll be staying and make room for her maids as well!”

Instantly, two prim and proper maids came into the living room and guided the three out. After they left, Wang Lu looked at Li Wanyu and sighed, “Can you tell me what’s wrong now?”

Li Wanyu hesitated before her shoulders slumped, “The Li Clan isn’t in a good state…”

“Why? Shouldn’t you the Li’s be the ones most flourishing now?”

“The tension in the clan has reached a boiling point. It’s come to the point that both the Mistress and him-” she gestured at the youth, “-no longer feel that keeping Daoyun in the clan will be safe!”

“But there has to be a reason, no? Is it rebellion?” Wang Lu guessed.

“Impossible! You have to be suicidal to-”

The youth cut her off, “It is rebellion!”

“Boy,” Wang Lu looked at him, “are you aware of the consequences of your words?”

“I am.”

“Then, can you be responsible for your actions?”

“I can but that probably won’t matter tomorrow.”

“Probably because the rebellion is most likely going to happen tomorrow!” the youth shrugged.

“What?” Li Wanyu and Wang Lu jumped up from their seats.

“Indeed.” he nodded his head.

“Son of a bitch!” Li Wanyu rushed up to him and grabbed his collar. “You didn’t think to mention this beforehand!?”

“We have been searching for evidence for years. And years have gone by without us finding anything!” The youth grasped Li Wanyu’s wrists and shook them off. “Then doesn’t it mean we were paranoid for nothing?”

“That’s…true.” Li Wanyu stepped back and pondered.

“Then why is it the clansmen look as though they will tear at each other’s throat at any moment? You have felt it, haven’t you Elder? The discord among the clansmen has increased. Scuffles and injuries happen daily. The Elders themselves are quarreling!” His voice became louder with every sentence.

Li Wanyu no longer talked anymore. The youth fixed his clothes and continued, “Even the caravan to Goldleaf Town might be ambushed!”

“Have you warned them!?” Li Wanyu asked desperately.

“I have tried in my capacity,” he shook his head, “but nothing can be proved without evidence!”

“Is there a culprit?” Wang Lu chimed in.

“There is but it’s not the mastermind behind them all!”

“So, it’s the Murong Clan.” Wang Lu had hit the nail on the head.

“It’s those bastards again?” she was momentarily stunned before becoming furious. “I’ll fucking kill them,” she was about to rush off when the youth grabbed her clothes from behind and pulled her.

“Is it the time to be acting rashly?” he reproached her. He then shook his head, “Save your strength for tomorrow!”

“Did Li Fen know?” Wang Lu asked again.

“Probably.”

“Then she still chose to leave?”

“Nothing can be proven without evidence, and this deal was too important to be canceled on a hunch!”

“We…” the youth paused and said, “should leave.”

“So, suddenly?” Wang Lu was caught off-guard.

“What?” the youth turned around “Is the Wang Clan going to help us?”

“No, if we make a move, we will end up facing the Murong Clan!”

“Ah, so you understand?” the youth smiled.

“Indeed,” he nodded his head, “the Li Clan is already in a battle against itself, if we make a move, the Murong Clan will duke it out with us.”

“I see,” the youth smiled. Then why not duke it out? It’ll all put us back at a stalemate. The youth wanted to ask Wang Lu this question but kept his mouth shut. He already knew the answer.

“Then, we’ll take our leave,” the youth bowed slightly and cupped his fists. He then took Li Wanyu and left. This time, they did not run at full speed and instead chose to walk at a slow pace. The youth looked up and admired the night sky.

“Say, what do we do now?” Li Wanyu suddenly asked.

“What can we do except ready ourselves for tomorrow?” the youth didn’t turn around to look at her.

“Then are you prepared?”

“As prepared as I can be!”

“Do your plans include everyone or just yourself?” he could feel her gaze on him when she asked this.

“Are you asking me to save everyone?” he counter-asked.

“Can’t you?”

“As I am, I can’t save anyone. I can only help them save themselves or get them to a point where they can be saved.” The youth stopped, turned around, and looked at her.

“So, how will you do it?” Was she curious?

The youth grabbed his mask, “In this world, there are two rules: ‘nothing can stand against absolute strength’ and ‘the strong prey on the weak’! But I’ll show you a new rule!” he pulled his mask down, much to the shock of Li Wanyu.

“With a good enough scheme, even the Gods will become fools!”

It was a really nasty smile.